Cheap Plastic Extension Tubes Without Contacts

<p>In a box of camera junk I got was a three set of cheap plastic extension tubes that don't have any contacts for lens to body communication.</p>

<p>What are they good for without the lens to body communication?</p>

<p>You'd lose AF, but that doesn't work well with extension tubes anyway. More problematic is losing control of the aperture. You can still set it, but only with some difficulty (mount the lens without tube, set the aperture you want, press the stop-down button and hold it while you remove the lens - the lens will keep the aperture you set.)</p>

<p>You'd also lose IS and any other power-dependent features the lens has. But still, as extension tubes, I expect they work.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, there are other lenses - for example, the LensBaby - that have no lens-to-body communication.</p>

<p>They work fine on old lenses that have only manual focus and a diaphram ring.</p>

<p>IS and autofocus aren't much use at macro distances anyway.</p>

<p><Chas><br /></p>

<p>I have a set, not plastic but aluminum with screw-together rings between the male and female bayonet. They aren't any use with the AF lenses, but I use them with Nikkors and Zuikos.</p>

<p>I was in a hurry to ask the question between jobs tonight but I thought I posted in EOS.<br />These are no name brand for EOS and they screw together, the body side and lens side parts must be screwed to one or more of the threaded sections.<br />I use a Lensbaby and also FD and M42 lenses on EOS but I have mechanical apertures or the Lensbaby aperture disk. Can't do that with EOS on the contactless tubes without doing what Alan said.<br />I could use them as Charles said but I have been using the M42 extension tubes when I need tubes. Rarely need tubes with the FD macro lens on EOS due to the flange distance but have FD tubes also.<br />I suppose these tubes on EOS with EOS lenses are somewhat useless but potentially useful on manual lenses that will mount to EOS.</p>

<p>I took a closer look and they are aluminum.<br>

I have the need to focus closer to subject occasionally with the 70-200.<br>

Now I'm thinking about taking the contacts from a dead lens and body and attach them to the extension I would get the most use from with any of these EOS lenses, 70-200mm f4 IS, 50mm f1.8, 24-105mm f4, 35-105mm f4-5.6<br>

It would probably be the shortest tube.</p>